Chuck vs The Dream Job
by Linwe Elendil
Summary: What happens after the doors close? Missing scene. Clearly contains spoilers for the episode.


Disclaimer: I do not own any of the rights to Chuck. I'm just doing this for fun as I dream of becoming a staff writer for the series. ;-)

Takes place at the end of _Chuck vs. the Dream Job_. Short and simple – just something I thought should have been added…

(Was supposed to be called _Chuck vs. The Dream Job 2.0_, but the website wouldn't let me add the . in 2.0 Lame!)

* * *

"NO!!!" Chuck screamed as he launched himself at the closing door. On reflex, Casey looped his right arm through Bartowski's left as he kept his eyes and weapon trained on the goons who were still prepared to shoot. When the barrier finally closed, Casey let the Asset go, keeping his weapon at the ready as he scanned their escape route. But it sounded like Bartowski didn't want to leave.

"We have to get back in there," Chuck said, frantically pushing a sequence on the keypad. It didn't work. Bartowski's eyes widened. "Roark must've changed the access code once we made it inside…" He began to pound on the door. "Dad!" he yelled. "DAD!" Walker put a hand gently on his arm. Casey's lip curled. She really was going soft.

"We'll find your father again, Chuck," she promised. "But right now, we have to go."

He looked back at her, his eyes filled with panic. "No, we can't leave. He's Orion – they'll hide him somewhere. We'll never find him again."

"Your old man is Orion?" Casey asked, incredulous. They ignored him.

"We aren't prepared for this," Walker countered. "We need to contact the General and –"

Casey couldn't stand it any more. "The hell with this." With a quick move of his hand, he grabbed an extra tranq dart from Bartowski's vest and stabbed it in the geek's exposed neck.

"Casey!" Walker exclaimed.

"Ow!" Chuck added, glancing over at him. His hand reached up to remove the dart, but it fell limp before he could. Casey watched Bartowski's eyes glaze over with a sense of satisfaction.

"Now we're even," he growled, before stooping down to let Chuck's limp body fall across his shoulders in a fireman's carry. He looked at the indignation on his partner's face. "We don't have time for this," he said, turning for the exit. She followed silently, but Casey had no doubt that she was mad – the double-roundhouse kick in the face to the last conscious guard was evidence enough of that. Luckily they had to split up once they reached the outside – Casey put Bartowski's sleeping form in the back of the surveillance van while Sarah drove Chuck's Nerd Herd car back to the Buy More. When he arrived outside the Orange Orange, Walker was waiting, her arms crossed impatiently. Casey got out of the van, shrugging. "You know I had to do that," he said. "Bartowski would've never left willingly."

"Maybe," she conceded, her clenched jaw loosening a fraction. She nodded to the back of the van. "Need some help?"

"Sure," he replied, sliding open the door. Chuck lay right where Casey had left him – his head relatively, but not comfortably, cushioned on a technical manual. Walker sighed and shook her head.

"Let's get him inside."

Casey grunted as he grabbed Chuck under the arms and pulled him head-first out of the van. Sarah reached out to catch the Asset's legs before they could hit the pavement, and together the two of them carried the nerd's lanky body down the stairs of Castle to deposit him on one of the cots. Walker took a second to arrange his long limbs into something resembling a comfortable position before taking a step back to monitor the slow rise and fall of his chest. Casey rolled his eyes as he headed for his weapons cache.

"Tell me when he wakes up," he called over his shoulder. "We can wait to call Beckman until then."

"Thanks, Casey," Walker said softly without turning around. He grunted in response before getting the hell out of there – badly in need of some Bartowski-free oxygen. He pulled the tranq guns Chuck had pilfered out of the pockets where he'd stashed them during the frantic search of Roark's complex, and set to work meticulously cleaning every trace of that idiot's DNA from them. When he was finished, he could almost convince himself they'd just come out of their packaging. But they were still tainted. He'd most likely have to requisition new ones.

_Maybe the little twerp should just keep using these. I'd certainly feel safer if he had this over a real weapon._ His musings were interrupted by a loud snore from the other room. _On second thought, I'm not sure if I want him setting foot near anything of mine again. _He cocked his head. _I wonder how upset Beckman would be if I _accidentally_ killed the Asset?_ Another snore sounded, and Casey barely resisted the urge to put his hands over his ears. _Maybe I could settle for maiming him._ He'd already heard more than enough of Bartowski's snoring over surveillance, and the sound made his ears ache. Chuck snored yet again, and Casey groaned.

"Shut up, Bartowski," he mumbled. Thirty seconds later, he found he'd reached his breaking point, and he was on his feet in an instant, walking over to the cot. To her credit, Walker didn't say anything as he approached. But she didn't need to. Her warning was written plainly across her face. So was the "you're the one who tranq'ed him" I-told-you-so look. But she needn't have worried. Casey slammed his hands down on the metal cot frame on either side of Bartowski's face. "Rise and shine, Sleeping Beauty," he said grumpily.

For a moment, it seemed as though Chuck would open his eyes after all. But the only response Casey got was one muttered word that sent him back to his opposite corner – wondering for the millionth time if having the Intersect in his brain might have caused Bartowski to lose his sanity.

_After all,_ he thought – remembering Chuck's incoherent remark – _who in their right mind dreams about pancakes?_

* * *

That's it! Short, I know – but it's only supposed to be a small piece of an episode. :-)

Pretty please… review?


End file.
